OBJECTIVES
Our purpose was to evaluate the impact of nesiritide on renal function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure and baseline renal dysfunction.
BACKGROUND
Although nesiritide is approved for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure, retrospective analyses have raised concerns that it may cause worsened renal function. To… (More)

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
BACKGROUND
Despite adequate epicardial artery reperfusion, a number of patients with STEMI have a poor… (More)

BACKGROUND
Accurate prognosis in chronic heart failure has become increasingly important in assessing the efficacy of treatment and in appropriately allocating scarce resources for transplantation. Previous studies of severe heart failure have been limited by short follow-up periods and few deaths.
OBJECTIVE
To establish clinical, hemodynamic, and… (More)

BACKGROUND
Mediastinal irradiation is known to cause cardiac disease, but its effect on left ventricular diastolic function is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction and its association with prognosis in asymptomatic patients after mediastinal irradiation.
METHODS
We recruited 294 patients who had… (More)

OBJECTIVES
We examined the effect of long-term treatment with two doses of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril on various immunological variables in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF).
BACKGROUND
Immunological mediators are increasingly recognized to play a pathogenic role in the pathophysiology of CHF. Whether… (More)

While pharmaceutical innovation has been highly successful in reducing mortality in chronic heart failure, this has not been matched by similar success in decompensated heart failure syndromes. Despite outstanding issues over definitions and end points, we argue in this paper that an unprecedented wealth of pharmacologic innovation may soon transform the… (More)

PURPOSE
Incidental cardiac irradiation during treatment of thoracic neoplasms has increased risks for subsequent acute myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death. Identifying patients who have a high risk for a coronary event may decrease morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether stress imaging can identify severe,… (More)

BACKGROUND
Accurately establishing prognosis in severe heart failure has become increasingly important in assessing the efficacy of treatment modalities and in appropriately allocating scarce resources for transplantation. Peak exercise oxygen uptake appears to have an important role in risk stratification of patients with heart failure, but the optimal… (More)

Chest pain is a common complaint in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Left main coronary artery (LMCA) compression by an enlarged pulmonary artery trunk (PAT) has been associated with angina, but appropriate diagnostic and treatment approaches remain poorly defined. We present two cases of angina caused by LMCA compression from an… (More)

Current management of patients after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) reflects a variety of approaches ranging from conservative to aggressive. Although each method is appropriate in certain subgroups, their application frequently lacks a scientific basis. Current, clinically relevant, evidence-based practice guidelines are needed for secondary… (More)